A Relais & Châteaux Patagonian deluxe experience like no other

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Review

Awasi is one of a kind in this remote area and we think they got it right. First of all, you do get the impression from the management team that nothing is out of reach to make their guests happy. At the same time, the service and interaction is very informal. Staying somewhere like Awasi, means that you have total freedom over your day-to-day schedule when it comes to activities, meals etc. You will also feel spoilt here, as everyday a new “surprise” goodie will appear in your room. This is la crème de la crème of properties outside of the Torres National Park and as such, also commands a high price tag. It is nearly perfect for what it strives to achieve in offering a luxury experience through privacy, connect with the natural surroundings, flexibility and very personalised service.

Location

Not far from Tierra Patagonia but overlooking another side of Sarmiento Lake and the Torres mounts.

Rooms

Awasi Patagonia consists of 14 individual “villas” inspired by old Patagonian shelters and ranching outposts set within a large private reserve. From a distance the villas look fairly nondescript but inside they are perfectly equipped with modern comforts and extremely spacious with a living area and fireplace at one end and the bed and bathroom with a bath looking out to the Macizo del Paine at the other. Each villa has its own hot tub, which can be prepared for you upon request according to the weather conditions (no strong winds on the day). Wind is not an issue for the property in general (compared to Tierra where you can definitely hear it) as there are plenty of trees providing shelter.

Layout

One of the first things you notice is how well spaced out these structures giving each villa complete privacy. Guests can walk or be driven to the main lodge, which is 3 minutes away and hosts the reception, restaurant and comfortable lounges. The villas, made of locally procured lenga wood are spread out over 2 levels spanning 800 metres across from end to end and all provide equally fantastic views of the main attraction in the area, the Torres mountain range and Sarmiento Lake. You'll see plenty of guanacos grazing around the property, which are obviously used to human contact so plenty of photo opportunities without going far! If you're lucky you may also see condors, foxes or even pumas that roam within the grounds of the private reserve.

Features

What makes Awasi stand out is, above all, the customer-service experience you can expect as a guest with your own guide and vehicle made available to you for the duration of your stay, giving you complete flexibility to spend your days at Awasi exactly as you like. This makes a real difference in peak season between January and February when the Park is at its busiest and having a guide and a private vehicle to take you to lesser visited areas and give you the seclusion and quiet Patagonia is renowned for, is a clear advantage.

Guests are allocated a walkie-talkie to communicate with staff at anytime of their stay to advise when to be picked up for meals (to go to the main lodge), excursions or any other requests they may have. Being a Relais & Chateaux property means there is an important emphasis on the quality of food served at Awasi, with ingredients grown in the hotel's vegetable garden or sourced from local suppliers. Meals can be tailored to each guest's very specific instructions…the impression you get is that they’ve thought about every detail to make sure that your stay is memorable and hassle free. For example, your villa is equipped with espresso coffee makers, a toaster, premium wines & spirits, a fresh fruit basket that is replenished daily and plenty of interesting books and reading material on the local area etc.

Feedback

This is a wonderful hotel in a stunning location. It is quite hard picking out highlights, because it was all good. Our two guides (Kangaroo Chris & Paula) were lovely, inspiring and very interesting young people, who made our adventures even more special. We stayed five nights and would have happily stayed longer. There is so much to do that there is a danger that you could end up spending so much time outside that you miss out on spending time just enjoying the hotel and for example, enjoying the views from the hot tub (which is highly recommended after a long hike!). We always had good service and particularly enjoyed Santi's wine choices - always a real treat. Our daughter loved his non-alcoholic creations too. An example of the good service we received was our transfer back to Punta Arenas on our last day. An 8.30am departure had been scheduled, but we decided we would rather spend time at the hotel than explore Punta Arenas. Despite the short notice and without any fuss the hotel arranged a 12pm departure for us. It made us very happy. Thanks Awasi!